Responding to a 1NT Opening Bid -- Balanced hands (Pass, 2NT or 3NT Only)

When partner opens 1NT you know they hold either 15, 16 or 17 HCP (High Card Points) with a balanced hand. If you hold a balanced hand also you want to play in NT. All that is left to determine is whether or not you want to play in a part-score, game or slam. Add your points to partner's to determine where you want to play. Remember there is no point in bidding any higher than 1NT if you know you cannot make a game.

To make game in 3NT you need between 25 and 32 HCP.
When responding to partner's opening 1NT this table will help guide you as to what to bid:

Responder has a balanced hand with:	Responder bids:	1NT opener does this:
0-7 HCP	Pass	-
8-9 HCP	2NT	Pass with a minimum (15 HCP)
		Bid 3NT with a maximum (17 HCP)
10-15 HCP	3NT	Pass

Let's look at some examples:

Example 1

♠KQ3
♥84
♦A732
♣Q532

I have 11 HCP with a balanced hand and partner opened 1NT. Since partner is balanced and I am balanced we probably want to play in NT. If partner has 15 HCP, together between the 2 hands we have 26 HCP. That is enough for a game in NT. I want to be in 3NT. If partner has 17 HCP, together between the 2 hands we have 28 HCP. That is enough for a game in NT. I want to be in 3NT. So no matter what partner has I want to be in 3NT. My response to partner's opening bid is 3NT.

Example 2

♠K93
♥84
♦A732
♣Q532

I have 9 HCP with a balanced hand and partner opened 1NT. Since partner is balanced and I am balanced we probably want to play in NT. If partner has 15 HCP together between the 2 hands we have 24 HCP. That is NOT enough for a game in NT. I want to stay low in the bidding. If partner has 17 HCP together between the 2 hands we have 26 HCP. That IS enough for a game in NT. I want to be in 3NT. Now I am going to have to ask partner whether or not they have 15 HCP or 17 HCP. My response to partner opening 1NT bid is 2NT. This says "Partner, I am interested in a game in NT. If I was not interested in a game in NT I would just 'Pass' and let you play in 1NT. However I cannot quite bid the game myself -- I don't have enough values. I know you could have 15 HCP (in which case you should Pass my 2NT) but I also know you could have 17 HCP. If you have 17 HCP I want you to bid 3NT and we will have a good shot at making game."

There are quite a few examples. Do not feel you need to do all the examples right away. Do a few and come back to them if you want. But I'd rather give you 56 examples and have you quit after 8 rather than give you 8 examples and leave you wanting more! Could I have made a mistake in some of them? Absolutely! If you feel there is an error in the point count or bid, just leave me a message. My editor can be a bit lazy at times so this is more than likely to happen.

On each hand first state how many HCP (High Card Points) you have.

Add your points to partner's if they have 15 and determine where you want to be.
Add your points to partner's if they have 17 and determine where you want to be.
If the answer is the same, that is your bid. If the answer is not the same, you probably need to invite game.

So first state how many HCP and then say what you would bid if your partner opened 1NT and the opponents "Pass".

Hand 1

♠A73
♥T6
♦732
♣QJ953



Hand 2

♠AK9
♥Q95
♦T876
♣Q42



Hand 3

♠86
♥AQ9
♦742
♣QJT76



Hand 4

♠T9
♥T97
♦K975
♣T963



Hand 5

♠93
♥AT9
♦AT86
♣KJ87



Hand 6

♠K5
♥K8
♦AJT52
♣J862



Hand 7

♠J4
♥874
♦QT974
♣K84



Hand 8

♠986
♥Q83
♦K964
♣J94



Hand 9

♠AQ5
♥Q8
♦Q532
♠9872



Hand 10

♠K92
♥865
♦AT3
♣KT76



Hand 11

♠K92
♥Q76
♦QT9
♣Q764



Hand 12

♠QJ6
♥J87
♦AT76
♣J94



Hand 13

♠853
♥K72
♦KJ3
♣KJ52



Hand 14

♠T8
♥982
♦AQ973
♣KT4



Hand 15

♠A86
♥J2
♦K532
♣AQT4



Hand 16

♠632
♥A76
♦J8
♣AQ643



Hand 17

♠64
♥K73
♦Q542
♣QT63



Hand 18

♠752
♥762
♦762
♣Q863



Hand 19

♠83
♥876
♦J874
♣AJ54



Hand 20

♠J54
♥KJ6
♦Q9
♣KQ865



Hand 21

♠AJ
♥A7
♦KT653
♣Q542



Hand 22

♠J85
♥Q8
♦AKT93
♣652



Hand 23

♠K43
♥85
♦AKQ87
♣965



Hand 24

♠K5
♥JT8
♦A7643
♣T42



Hand 25

♠K8
♥532
♦T853
♣K763



Hand 26

♠KJ3
♥K75
♦QJ63
♣J73



Hand 27

♠A4
♥Q7
♦QT863
♣J973



Hand 28

♠Q7
♥52
♦J654
♣AT963



Hand 29

♠Q97
♥72
♦AQ95
♣QJ97



Hand 30

♠Q98
♥96
♦KQ864
♣KT8



Hand 31

♠T6
♥AT7
♦AKJ4
♣T863



Hand 32

♠T85
♥JT8
♦Q7532
♣96



Hand 33

♠KQ5
♥754
♦QJ432
♣98



Hand 34

♠K54
♥Q64
♦KJ96
♣863



Hand 35

♠T83
♥72
♦AKJ2
♣T963



Hand 36

♠T65
♥87
♦9854
♣AQT7



Hand 37

♠T9
♥Q6
♦AK742
♣JT64



Hand 38

♠Q76
♥KT
♦AKQ63
♣973



Hand 39

♠52
♥32
♦87543
♣KQ72



Hand 40

♠973
♥984
♦JT86
♣Q84



Hand 41

♠QJ
♥A5
♦9864
♣AT852



Hand 42

♠97
♥T2
♦QJT8
♣KJ753



Hand 43

♠A5
♥Q76
♦Q73
♣J9874



Hand 44

♠A7
♥J85
♦AJT86
♣T92



Hand 45

♠62
♥75
♦QT93
♣J9742



Hand 46

♠K2
♥83
♦A9743
♣AJ76



Hand 47

♠963
♥AT5
♦T8
♣AKJ94



Hand 48

♠52
♥Q5
♦Q853
♣JT864



Hand 49

♠J92
♥KQ4
♦K3
♣K7652



Hand 50

♠KQ3
♥Q5
♦J432
♣QJT3



Hand 51

♠Q7
♥J8
♦AQT9
♣KQ432



Hand 52

♠Q7
♥A75
♦QT875
♣A65



Hand 53

♠J82
♥A95
♦AJ54
♣K85



Hand 54

♠K3
♥T5
♦T9872
♣QJT3



Hand 55

♠K2
♥T95
♦AQJT7
♣A65



Hand 56

♠84
♥Q2
♦AQT2
♣AQT72